Category Archives: ISL Player Profile

Gregory Nelson is the first unknown (relatively speaking) I’ll be scouting on this blog from my armchair. It is a comfortable armchair. In fact, it is so comfortable that I get super scouting powers from it. That is why the all the great scouts of the world need to see players in real life while I can scout them in my undy fundies.

I assure you I’m a very humble man in my personal life. In this blog, I’m atrociously flagrant. That’s the internet these days though. “I’m flagrant, atrociously flagrant. I have the licence to be ridiculous.” The internet said so.

Back to the subject of one Mr Nelson. He was a great freedom fighter in South Africa. Oops, wrong Nelson. Gregory Nelson is the subject of my attention today. Here’s my (armchair) scout report.

Who is Gregory Nelson?

Gregory Nelson is a Dutch attacker who is currently on a world tour. He began in Europe but he soon after started moving eastwards. It is expected that Nelson is aiming for setting a record for the slowest time for travelling around the world. The man, to be honest, loves to travel and you can’t but help like someone like that.

Nelson started in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar. He played one game for Alkmaar before moving to RBC Roosendaal in the second tier of clubs in Netherlands. He swapped RBC for the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. From Sofia, he went to Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine. Nelson returned to Bulgaria in 2015. He has since moved to Kazakhstan, Bahrain, and has now come to India. Maybe, he’ll go to Indonesia or even Japan next?

Oh, by the way, Nelson is at the peak of his career at 29 years old.

What Are Nelson’s Strengths?

According to third-party estimates, Nelson is the most expensive player on the Chennaiyin books right now. He’s valued at around 800,000 Pounds or Rs 7 Cr. This is understandable because Nelson looks like one of those players who can unlock defences. He can do this in a number of ways. Let’s explore.

Nelson is a winger who can play on both wings. He can do this because he is good on both feet. While he is primarily a right-footed player i.e. right winger, he has a very decent left foot. His left foot is good enough for him to score goals with it. That isn’t something you can say for a lot of attackers these days.

As is the case with all two-footed players, Gregory Nelson is also very good with the ball. His dribbling skills are very good mainly because he’s quick and agile also. His agility means that he can change direction very quickly. Changing directions is easy for Nelson because his first touch is very sophisticated. In fact, you can say that Nelson changes directions with his first touch, on the turn. Not only that, once he’s changed direction, he also has the acceleration and pace to get away from his marker.

These kinds of players tend to be all about guile and technique but that isn’t the case with Gregory Nelson. He does the unattractive football work too. This means that he closes down defenders. He even steals the ball off and on in dangerous positions.

What Are Nelson’s Weaknesses?

Nelson is about technique and agility or dribbling skills and pace. Whichever way you look at it, these kinds of players can’t compete physically for headers. Nelson is also lean and thin. He neither has the physique to compete for aerial balls nor the inclination. His game is all on the ground. Having said that, though; when required Nelson does manage to ride, and even initiate, shoulder barges successfully.

Still, not being able to compete for headers can be said to be a limitation. I call this a limitation because wingers often get the chance to ghost in on the far post and score off tap-in headers. Not only does Nelson not do headers but he also has a tendency to stay out of the box. Such players require partners or foils to be really effective.

Tracking back is also going to be a problem with Nelson. He’s primarily an attacker and makes no excuses for it. This is something that Chennaiyin FC will have to compensate for.

Stamina could be an issue for Nelson but this is purely a hunch. It isn’t based on any solid evidence. Fancy players in this price range tend to be temperamental and without the fitness levels of say an effective full-back. Gregory Nelson might be of this mould or he may not be.

What Can We Expect From Nelson in ISL-2017

Super Machans, you’re in for a treat. Gregory Nelson has all the ingredients to be a very effective attacker for Chennaiyin FC. I feel like Chennaiyin FC has tried to replace Stiven Mendoza with Nelson. He has the same kind of attributes. In fact, I think Nelson may end up being better than Mendoza even though it is a very tough act to follow.

I don’t think Nelson will have the same amount of goals in him as Mendoza but I do think he will wreak havoc on defences in India in one way or another. I expect him to be very effective on the ball and beat a lot of defenders.

John Gregory is an Englishman and if he doesn’t know how to use an effective, dribbling winger I don’t know who will. He will play Nelson on either wing, depending on the opponent or what players are available to him. If he puts Nelson on the right wing, I think he’ll have a target man in the middle. If he puts him on the left wing, then he’ll have a mobile forward in front of him.

If Gregory is feeling adventurous, he may even give Nelson the roaming role. I’m not completely sure he’ll do this, though, unless Chennaiyin FC is trailing and need a quick goal.

Interesting Facts about Nelson

There aren’t a lot of interesting facts about Nelson that I’m aware of or can find. However, I do have some. Here you go.

Nelson has had close associations with two clubs that went into administration in two different countries (RBC in the Netherlands and Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine). Stop leaving the fans and lights on in the dressing room, Gregory! Still, the Super Machans need not worry. Anyone who comes to India learns very quickly the benefits of frugality. We’re good educators that way.

Nelson had his contract mysteriously terminated at the Kazakh team FC Kaisar. Any of you know why because I certainly don’t.

Nelson has never scored more than 5 goals in a single season and the last time he did that was way back in 2009 for RBC. See what I mean when I say he won’t score many here?

I had decided to focus on one foreign player per team so that I could give each franchise equal attention. Wes Brown, however, is such a big name that I’m willing to make an exception for him. Brown will be the second Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) player I’ll be analysing in this Armchair Scouting series, the first one being, of course, Dimitar Berbatov. Continue reading

I am not happy. Why has my beloved Indian Super League suddenly developed a love affair with Tottenham Hotspurs? Why are the clubs signing so many former Spurs players? The inaugural season of the ISL was wonderful. There were loads of Arsenal players (Pires, Santos) that I could get behind. Now, there are barely any. Instead, Spurs are all over. After ATK (yes, still with that lame-ass Amar, Tomar crap) signed Keane, KBFC went one better with Dimitar Berbatov.

Both are former Spurs players. In fact, they played together in what could be seen as the best career season for Keane. I doubt Keane could’ve done it without Berbatov, though. Despite being an Arsenal fan, for some reason, I never hated Berbatov. It’s probably because of his artistry. If you like the Gunners or have ever liked them (tough to like them these days, I understand), you cannot but like poetry and Berbatov has always played poetically. Continue reading

Stupid question, I know. At least it is for anyone who knows some footy. However, this “Who is…” is going to be a theme for the next few weeks on this blog. Yeah, I figured that the one thing that the world needs is one more player profile. Seriously though, there are some unknown names in the Indian Super League that deserve some focus. So, I’m going to use whatever’s left of my journalistic skills (it was 8 years ago, after all, that I was a journalist) to delve into players and their styles of play. Call this armchair scouting if you will. In fact, I think I’ll change the title right now to include that phrase. I quite like it.

Right on, we will begin with Robbie Keane. Why? Well, we will because it will be easier for us to sink our collective teeth into someone well known. We can gnash our jaws over lesser known footballers in subsequent instalments of this Armchair Scouting series. Continue reading

It seems that we’re going to see another high profile name from the English Premier League ply his trade in the Indian Super League. Jermaine Pennant is going to be replacing the combative midfielder from Colombia, Omar Andres Rodriguez Martinez who only played one game for the team from the city of students, FC Pune City. Jermaine Pennant, for me, is ‘the almost man’. I call him ‘the almost man’ simply because his playing is littered with situations where he ‘almost’ excelled.

Jermaine Pennant, The Almost Man

Jermaine Pennant

Pennant, an English National, shot to fame at a very young age when Arsenal snapped him up from Notts County in the year of 1999. At the time, the fee that Wenger paid for Pennant was the record fee ever for a trainee. Pennant was only 15 years old. Arsene Wenger made a mistake big time with this signing. Even with his soft but highly effective method of bringing up young players, he couldn’t really inculcate the right values in Pennant who let his fame go to this head.

His age, I think, was the actual problem. Pennant was too young for that kind of fame. At the time of his transfer, Pennant was being touted as the next David Beckham in many English quarters. And that, unfortunately, instead of being a milestone ends up being a millstone if you don’t have a strong personality and a firm personality core to handle all the hullaballoo.

The First Almost

Being highly rated, Pennant clinched his first game for Arsenal only a year after his transfer. Unfortunately, that’s also when the problems began. Pennant had a series of disciplinary issues and fallouts with Wenger, most of which were chalked off as a result of him feeling homesick or not getting enough game time. Jermaine Pennant went through the next 6-7 years at Arsenal without making a significant impact.

I remember seeing him play for the team I support but I wasn’t impressed that much because he reminded me of the traditional English winger. He would’ve suited better with Manchester United who had a wing based style of play then than with Arsenal. The Gunners were even then trying to achieve Wenger’s dream of perfect football of small triangles and one touch passing. It’s worth noting that about the time that Pennant was struggling for Arsenal, Robert Pires shone to become an Arsenal star. In fact, Pires was brought to the club in the same year that Pennant made his debut for the team i.e. 2000. The first ‘Almost’.

The Second Almost

Wenger, finally, tiring of not seeing any improvement from Pennant decided to loan him to Birmingham (a team with considerable Indian following I might add) where Pennant again showed glimpses of brilliance. This was Pennant’s second ‘almost’ because, within a period of one year, Pennant chose to blow it all away by drinking and driving (he didn’t have insurance and his licence was also expired at the time).

He was given jail time of about 3 months. His Manager and Chairman, even then, chose to support him. Pennant was released a month later on the condition that he wear an electronic tracker at all times. Jermaine Pennant ended up playing his next game against Tottenham Hotspurs wearing that tracker.

The Third Almost

Pennant’s Media Splash

Pennant spent one more season with Birmingham before which he was signed on a permanent contract. His form was indifferent and his team were relegated to the Championship. Subsequently, Liverpool bid for Pennant and signed him on a mega four year deal. The next 3 years will easily be the most successful period in Pennant’s playing career in which he played for a high profile team, showed form, and even gained recognition from the fans and the media.

Then, another impulsive decision caused another disciplinary issue for Pennant when he was sent off when Liverpool met FC Porto from Portugal. Jermaine Pennant never played for the Reds again and was loaned to Portsmouth. Pennant was virtually non-existent for Portsmouth. This period was followed by a small stint with Real Zaragoza. Pennant failed to settle in his new surrounding and was late to a number of trainings which enraged his manager and resulted in him being shunted to the subs bench without playing another game. Another ‘almost’.

Pennant went on to sign a loan deal and then a permanent deal with the Ogres of Stoke City. That’s I think when his facial hair grew out of control under the phenomenal pheromonal influence of his team mates. Pennant continued his issues with authority at Stoke, breaking two of their match curfews. After a small period on loan at the Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pennant’s contract expired with Stoke without a renewal till Hughes became the manager. Pennant was signed up again, failed to make a significant impact again, and had his contract terminated at the beginning of this year.

The International Almost

Jermaine Pennant was always perpetually on the cusp of gaining an international cap but never could make it. At one point, Pennant became so frustrated that he threw his hat in to be included for the Republic of Ireland. Needless to say, that didn’t work either.

You see what I mean by ‘almost’? Pennant’s career has been a story of chances followed by misdemeanours. I wonder what will happen to him in India. He is playing for Pune. Perhaps, the students of the city will appreciate his rebellious attitude. In any case, unlike other former EPL players, Jermaine Pennant is not very old (only 31) and has bags of talent. I expect to have some fun watching him today. I hope you’ll join me because I will give you a Match Report after the game.